Published: November 24, 2007 10:16 pm      

PSC student places fourth

KEYSER — Ashley Kisamore, a freshman at Potomac State College of West Virginia University, attended the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., placing fourth out of 52 in the Extemporaneous Public Speaking event, for which she received a plaque and a $1,000 scholarship. Kisamore was named a Gold Emblem Individual as well.

According to the National FFA Organization, the Extemporaneous Public Speaking Career Development Event is designed to recognize outstanding FFA members for their ability to prepare and present a factual speech on a specific agricultural issue in a well thought out and logical manner.

Members select a topic from a choice of categories, must prepare a four- to six-minute speech in 30 minutes then respond to five minutes of questions. “This can be a very long five minutes,” said Kisamore.

Topics are by no means simple and do require some degree of research by the individuals, who are allowed to have five reference books at their disposal.

Topics presented to Kisamore included: Are organic practices environmentally safer than traditional farming? The second issue — South Korea closed its borders to the United States due to contamination in the food supply on our part. Negotiations ensued. Should the U.S. be prepared for negotiations if this occurs again and what is the effect on the U.S.? And — the third issue — peanut butter, spinach and chili products have all been recalled in the U.S. Consumers needed someone to blame for the sickness and deaths these products may have caused. Should the farmers be blamed and what precautions can be taken to prevent this from happening again?

Kisamore joined FFA during her freshman year at Pendleton County High School and has been a member the past five years. She participated in Creed Speaking her freshman year and Prepared Speaking during her sophomore and junior years. In addition, while attending the National Convention her junior year, Kisamore gave a presentation on mad cow disease.

Kisamore previously held the offices of secretary and vice president for her local FFA chapter and currently serves as a state officer in the secretarial position.

Kisamore, an agriculture and extensions major, plans on continuing her education at WVU. Upon graduation she would like to stay in West Virginia to teach. She is the daughter of Jody and Christy Kisamore.

FFA is a national youth organization of 495,046 members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 7,242 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The Extemporaneous Public Speaking event is sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation of Washington as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.